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Myeloma Canada 2020 community awards |
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Recognizing outstanding leadership
from within our community
Myeloma Canada is truly blessed with the most incredible community of volunteers who put their heart and soul into helping to further our mutual cause. Without you, your energy and drive, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish all that we have.
Every year, we’re honoured to recognize some of the remarkable volunteer leaders within our Myeloma Canada community. As we all know, 2020 had its fair share of obstacles and challenges, but that didn’t stop our awe-inspiring volunteers in their efforts to raise community awareness and funds for myeloma. We applaud their outstanding leadership, passion, commitment, and creativity in making myeloma matter.
Please join us in congratulating Nancy Gray, Bethany Reeves, Megan Gardiner, Julie Martel, Micheline Garand, Patricia Prowse, Manon Veilleux, and Shawn Crossman, recipients of the 2020 Myeloma Canada Community Awards!
Learn more about each of our winners, and the awards they’ve been honoured with, below (in no specific order!):
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Notable Volunteer Award
Nancy Gray, Hamilton (ON)
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Nancy accomplished the impossible this year with her can-do attitude!
As the 2020 Myeloma Canada Multiple Myeloma March leader in Hamilton, Nancy not only managed to plan a socially distanced March, but with an online Zoom option so that everyone could feel included and comfortable to participate in their own way.
Her dedication, creativity and ability to think outside the box made this event a huge success, raising $53,000…that’s $13,000 above their $40,000 goal!
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Nancy communicated regularly with March participants, provided updates and helped to promote the event in the community and at the cancer centre. She also brought some amazing ideas about adapting the Multiple Myeloma March at the national level which helped Myeloma Canada as well as many other communities.
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Newcomer(s) of the Year Award
Bethany Reeves and Megan Gardiner, PEI
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Bethany Reeves and Megan Gardiner not only re-launched a new support group in PEI, but established satellite locations in both Summerside and Charlottetown as well!
Not only that, but the sisters organized the first-ever Multiple Myeloma March in Summerside, raising $12,640...that’s $4,640 above their initial goal of $8,000!
Megan and Bethany's energy and passion further shone in the work they did with the media to bring awareness to the support group and to the March, as well as in advocating for drug access to daratumumab in their province.
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Megan and Bethany - sister power! |
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Both Megan and Bethany also participated at the 2020 Myeloma Canada Virtual Support Group Leaders’ Summit and at regional Atlantic meetings. |
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Carolyn Henry Memorial TEAM* Award (*The Excellence in Advocacy Medal)
Julie Martel, Quebec City (QC)
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From right to left: Julie Martel with Manon Veilleux, Danielle McCann (Quebec's Health Minister), Vénus Bélanger and Martine Elias, at the 2019 Quebec Awareness Day. |
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Julie’s engagement in pioneering advocacy efforts in Quebec has been exemplary.
Julie is actively involved with the Coalition Priorité Cancer as a patient advocate. She represents the patient voice in the Quebec oncology network, provides suggestions for improvement, and works toward ensuring information is shared with all concerned parties.
Julie's efforts are helping to improve the landscape for all Quebecers living with cancer. Julie also participated in the Awareness Day at the Quebec Provincial Legislature in 2019.
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Community Achievement Award - it's a tie! |
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Micheline Garand, Montreal (QC)
Micheline’s dedication to Myeloma Canada’s Multiple Myeloma March over the past 10 years has been truly remarkable, and 2020 was no exception!
Not only has Micheline been the top March fundraiser in Montreal for 3 consecutive years, but even though the 2020 in-person Montreal March didn’t take place, she and her teammates proudly walked along the Lachine canal with banners and swag for all to see, and raised a total of $7,625!
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Micheline Garand, 2nd from the left, with her family
at the 2019 Multiple Myeloma March
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Patricia Prowse, Saskatoon (SK)
In-person event or not, Patricia hit the ground running for the Saskatoon Multiple Myeloma March!
Participating in her first-ever Multiple Myeloma March, and leading 'Team Robbie' in honour of her dear friend, Patricia managed to gather 66 team members and raise $15,405 for the cause! Their team alone surpassed the Saskatoon March’s collective goal of $12,000... and they’re already gearing up for their 2021 event!
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At left, Patricia Prowse with Robbie |
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Myeloma Canada Executive Director Award
Manon Veilleux, Quebec City (QC)
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Quebec support group leaders, from right to left: Hervé Benoît, Manon Veilleux, Danny Wade, Vénus Bélanger and Jean-François Couture (2019) |
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Manon’s extraordinary work and spirited engagement in empowering the Canadian myeloma community has been exceptional over the last year.
Manon is a proactive leader who demonstrates remarkable enthusiasm in sharing ideas with Myeloma Canada and exchanging best practices with other group leaders. Manon’s natural gift of bringing people together, positivity and ability to motivate others, to get involved and find solutions to challenges (especially in a year with so many!) is truly inspiring.
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Not only does Manon play an active role on the Myeloma Canada Patient Advisory Council (PAC), but she is also Leader for the Quebec City Support Group and has been doing an incredible job at keeping members active throughout the pandemic. If she’s not hosting virtual meetings, she’s connecting on social media! Manon also participated in Myeloma Canada’s 2020 virtual Multiple Myeloma March and encouraged group members to do the same. |
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Nathalie Allard Memorial Award
Shawn Crossman, Moncton (NB)
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Shawn’s contribution to the Myeloma Canada community was, once again, nothing short of remarkable!
For the second consecutive year, Shawn's team, #CrossmanStrong, was the 2020 Multiple Myeloma March’s top fundraising team in Canada! With Shawn at their helm, they raised $25,010, surpassing last year’s total of $23,000!
Not only that, but Shawn was the spokesperson for the March and did tremendous outreach with the media to raise community awareness for myeloma.
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Congratulations once again to all of you,
and to all of our wonderful volunteers!
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